Brain-machine interface (BMI) startup FlectoThink (柔灵科技) recently closed an angel+ round of funding worth tens of millions of yuan, led by DH Capital.
Proceeds from this round will be used to develop non-invasive BMI technology and explore the business model.
Founded in 2020, FlectoThink specializes in using non-invasive BMI systems to design consumer electronics and healthcare applications
It seeks to build flexible smart wearable devices, primarily applied in sleep monitoring, where users can have their sleep cycle and architecture recorded with accuracy using lighter, thinner wearable materials and more advanced algorithms.
Sleep disorder has become increasingly common among the Chinese population. According to a study on deep sleep of Chinese citizens in 2020, 38.3% suffered from sleep problems, with over 300 million people battling insomnia.
After more than two years of research, Hangzhou-based FlectoThink has come up with several products. Its single-passage electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring device Airdream comes in the shape of a coin and weighs only 4g.
In addition to measuring electrical activity in the human brain to evaluate sleep quality, Airdream is equipped with an EEG management system for home use, capable of improving sleep through noise stimulation.
In a contrast to current EEG monitoring gadgets, which come with hard materials, Airdream adopts a flexible conductive patch.
This avoids leaving strap marks on the skin and causing friction during use that interferes with EEG signal collection.
FlectoThink now partners with hospitals to collect sleep data, such as Hangzhou’s No. 7 People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University Mental Health Center and Nanjing Brain Hospital.
Besides, it also collaborates with fitness and meditation parlors to build a database.
Aside from consumer electronics, FlectoThink also developed an EEG monitoring device meant for healthcare application.
According to the company, it is expected to secure a certificate for medical equipment in the first half of 2023.
The digital therapy software developed by FlectoThink caters to multiple diseases. It can aid doctors with therapeutic assessment and chronic disease management and works by measuring the neuronal markers unique to EEG.
The software is often used for the treatment of sleep and mental disorders, said the firm.
FlectoThink currently consists of over 50 members, mainly involved in the R&D of hardware, software, algorithms and product design.
